Servings: 4 pizzas
Ingredients
The sauce
- 28 ounce tomatoes 1 can of San Marzano tomatoes (or not but you are missing out).
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Quick tandoori chicken
- 4 chicken breasts - boneless, skinless. I rarely specify white meat for Indian but it works here.
- 3 tbsp tandoori masala - pay attention to how much salt the blend contains
- 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste
- 1 tsp kasoori methi
- 1/4 tsp naga pickle - optional as it adds real fire. But it adds amazing flavour too.
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1/2 tsp salt - the amount of salt really depends on how much salt there is in your tandoori masala.
Tandoori chicken pizza (one 13 inch pizza)
- 4 tbsp sauce - from above
- 1/2 tsp kasoori methi (optional - pushes the pizza in a strong Indian direction. You decide)
- 1 tandoori chicken breast cooked and sliced (from above)
- 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 small jalapeno thinly sliced
- 6 ounces mozzarella grated
The Dough
- Your favourite pizza dough here
Instructions
The crust
- Get your dough ready. Go with whatever dough works in your workflow.
- You can make this as easy or as hard as you like. Go with what you know. If you really want to get into serious pizza making check out the Neapolitan pizza dough in the comments below.
The sauce
- Pass the tomatoes through a food mill. If you don't have a food mill you can try using a food processor. Note that a food mill really makes a difference though. It removes the seeds and more fibrous material. If you are getting into pizza in a serious way I do recommend the investment.
- Add the salt. Stir to combine. That's it. The easiest pizza sauce ever. Just pure tomato flavour.
The quick tandoori chicken
- Combine the tandoori masala, garlic ginger paste, kasoori methi, naga (if using) and oil. Stir to combine. You want a nice slurry. Taste. Yes. I know it's a little strange but it's actually quite tasty. If it is well seasoned you are good. If it seems like it could use a bit more salt then add the salt as well.
- Combine the tandoori masala mixture with the chicken. Make sure the chicken is well coated. Don't use your bare hands for this. Tandoori masala has food colouring in it. It will stain badly.
- Set aside (refrigerated) for up to one day. You can go within 30 minutes. After 12 hours it will be fully brined. Any longer and you are just letting the food colouring penetrate a little further. For the record the chicken in the pictures was marinated for about 30 minutes.
- Ideally you can grill the chicken over charcoal until it hits an internal temp of about 150F for white meat. 160F for dark meat. You want it a little underdone because it will cook some more when you fire your pizza.
- If you are doing it in the oven simply roast in a 400F degree oven. Flip the chicken at around the 10 minute mark and cook to the recommended internal temperatures. You don't need to worry about trying for char for this to work.
Build the tandoori chicken pizza (13 inch diameter)
- Open your dough as you do normally. If you want to get the big cornice like in the pictures don't use a rolling pin. Open by hand a leave a little extra dough at the edges.
- Spread about 4 tablespoons of sauce on the crust.
- Cover evenly with cheese. This is an upside down style pizza. Cheese, then toppings.
- Top with red onion, thinly sliced jalapeño and then the tandoori chicken. You want the tandoori chicken on top.
- Cook as you would normally. In my pizza oven that's about 90-110 seconds at around 800F. You know your oven. Do what you do.
- Serve. Bask in the adulation of your guests. Or just eat it all up yourself. That's a tough choice. I share. But I don't want to...
Notes
If you really want to get serious about your pizza making and have an oven that can get to north of 700F consider making a long room temperature ferment. I've been working on this Neapolitan pizza dough for more than a decade. Told you I was into pizza...